Rieka was standing at the front of our little group, with Valda on her left and Kassandra on her right. Jane and Shayla stood at the back of the group, silent but respectful of the royal party that stood just ahead of them.

  The royal party was headed by Queen Gemma and her husband Jonas. Standing behind them were three women that I guessed had to be Rieka’s sisters from their blonde hair, blue eyes, and the shared features. All three of the other princesses were older than Rieka, the sight reminding me that she was the fourth princess after all.

  Didn’t she have a brother too? Or is poor Jonas the only boy in the family? I wondered while Gemma greeted her daughter’s friends.

  “I want to welcome all of you to our home. While you are here, you are guests of my daughter and my family,” Gemma was saying to the group when I arrived.

  I could see Jane’s tail begin to fidget back and forth in nervousness, so I stepped up behind the little mouse woman, intentionally moving so that I would loom and cast a bit of a shadow so she knew I was there.

  Jane reacted immediately, shifting to lean ever so slightly into me, taking comfort from my presence but not making it obvious. The anxious twitching of her long tail stilled almost immediately and I bit back a smile while tuning back into what Gemma was saying.

  “—be amenable, we can retire to one of the private solariums to chat. Or if you are exhausted from the trip then we can put it off until later today?”

  Rieka glanced back at her friends, and I felt my heart swell at that simple gesture. My princess was always very mindful of her friends, even when it might work against her. At this moment, she did not need to check in with them. We were inside her mother’s palace, and as the highest ranking of the group it was well within her rights and the expectations of nobility for her to just decide for the group. But here she was, checking in on the other girls to see how they were doing.

  I met Rieka’s eyes and her ears perked up just a bit. Not enough for anyone else to notice, but I did. Her tail twitched as well, the fluffy mass wiggling once as she read the approval in my eyes and offered me a soft smile in return.

  “Why don’t we relax in the solarium and catch up for a bit? I know that I would like a chance to stretch my legs after being in the carriage, but we will still need to freshen up before dinner.”

  One of the younger women behind the group snorted in amusement, the sound immediately drawing my attention to her.

  She looked more like her mother than Rieka did, with icy blonde hair and none of the black tipping to her ears like my princess had. Unlike Rieka, she was far more heavily muscled and wore a thick leather belt that supported an arming sword like Valda carried, though of a plainer make than the human-era relic that the lizard-folk woman bore.

  “It isn’t like you rode horseback here, sister,” the swordswoman said, rolling her eyes. Despite the sarcastic nature of her comment, the woman was smiling softly at Rieka.

  “I challenge you to find a horse that would put up with Liam in close contact for more than a few minutes, Margaret,” Rieka replied, her pointed wolf ears twitching in amusement.

  “Or one that I could ride,” Kassandra said with a small smile.

  “That can be forgiven, Kassandra,” replied Margaret, smiling down at Rieka before turning to study me.

  While she’d given her sister politeness and addressed Kassandra respectfully, Rieka’s sister studied me like a bug under a microscope. Something that did not pass her mother’s notice, judging from Gemma’s frown.

  “Sister, how have your studies been going?” asked another of the sisters, this one on the slender side but still sporting the same blonde hair and blue eyes that all the sisters did.

  She was dressed in an open-necked blouse of dark green with thick ruffles that mostly covered her full bust, but still left enough skin exposed that I was sure Kassandra would have liked the top. From the slightly strained look on her face, I assumed she was trying to cover for the more blunt attitude of her older sister who was still studying me judgingly.

  “Excellent,” Rieka answered, glancing towards her sister and then at me questioningly. I just gave my head a faint shake, telling her that I didn’t need her to step in with her sister right now. I could see the irritation in Gemma’s eyes, but the queen was in too much control to show her emotions. “Mother and Griselda were there for the end-of-term tournament after the first semester where we claimed first place, thanks to Liam.”

  That got the third sister who had been silent up to that point to nod, and studying her I did recognize the woman. The faint scar on her cheek and the regal nose she had stood out, as did the ornate rapier at her hip. Unlike the sister studying me, she still had her hand resting on the hilt of her weapon, steadying it. She also was dressed in a reinforced leather jacket decorated with silver trim and shared a nod of acknowledgment with Valda.

  That’s right. Griselda was the one who was with Gemma during the whole thing at the end of semester, I thought. Never got to talk to her then, but she’s at least seen me in action.

  “I am honestly surprised that he did so well,” said Margaret, still studying me intently. “While he does look fierce, I am… less than impressed. The way that mother described him, I thought he would be far more intimidating.”

  That simple statement took the polite atmosphere and froze it solid before cracking it right down the middle. Rieka was now glaring right at Margaret while Jane and Shayla stiffened next to me.

  Gemma was now glaring at her daughter, but it was Valda who spoke up and her pointed tone cut through the rising irritation with the same efficiency as her sword cut through opponents.

  “You are welcome to test that foolish assumption, I think that he would likely even allow you to survive that test given your relationship with Rieka.”

  Not even mentioning her being a princess, or Gemma. Nope, you pointed it straight to her relationship with Rieka. Valda knows the score and is far more observant that some might give her credit for, I thought while concealing a smile.

  I didn’t need to speak up in my own defense, since Gemma had decided to step in as well and chastise her daughter.

  “Jumping to assumptions like that is a prime way to get yourself killed in the field, Margaret.”

  Rieka’s sister ignored the chastisement though, instead locking eyes with me and from the mulish angle of her jaw, I knew where this was going.

  “Queen Gemma,” I said, pointedly turning away from Margaret to look at her mother. “I can understand why one might question things, and take no offense. Yet.”

  I made sure to put pressure on that final word, which Gemma acknowledged with a brief nod. And from the irritation I saw in Jonas’ eyes, he was also getting frustrated with his daughter’s disrespect.

  Whether that is because the disrespect is in public or not is something else entirely, I thought before Margaret opened her mouth with a proposition that I’d seen brewing behind her eyes for the last few seconds.

  “I just can’t trust him looking like that. Especially since this is the one that you kept claiming was to be our secret protection. I want to test him myself.”

  I could feel the desire to facepalm coming from Gemma as her daughter derailed the entire proper greeting for Rieka and from the wicked twinkle in Margaret’s eye, I had a feeling that she’d done it on purpose.

  There is a competition for the throne going on, I reminded myself. Just because Rieka isn’t actively competing in it doesn’t mean her sisters are ignoring it as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Margaret trying to push her own reputation up by beating up the prize that Rieka brought to the table.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  I caught Rieka’s gaze and nodded my agreement to her. Her eyes—which had been hard with anger at her sister—softened and she nodded.

  “If the word of myself, Lady Valda, Lady Kassandra, and Mother and Father are not enough for you, sister, then I don’t see how a sparring match will change your views. But my guardian is willing to oblige you.”

  “When would you like to—” Margaret began to ask but I cut her off.

  “Now.”

  That stopped the proud woman dead in her tracks and her brow furrowed while her wolf ears laid back on top of her head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gemma’s irritation shift into a small, fierce smile that she rapidly hid away.

  “I would appreciate it if you did not critically injure my daughter, Traveler,” Gemma said instead and I nodded to her in understanding.

  “Shall we proceed to the training rings?” Griselda asked blandly. “After watching him dismantle the polar worm during the competition, I admit to being curious of how skilled he is against someone wielding a weapon.”

  “I don’t know,” I said with a shrug, watching as Margaret opened her mouth to comment, but I didn’t let her get a word in. “Valda, how do you think I am against someone who is armed?”

  “Terrifying,” Valda said without hesitation. “Considering the bloody path you tore through our enemies on the border? I wouldn’t want to cross swords with you in a battle to the death.”

  “Well, it’s good that we are just going to be having a bit of a spar then, right?” I turned my attention back to Gemma and offered the queen a reasonable bow. I hadn’t exactly practiced them much so I know it wasn’t as good as it could or should have been, but I tried at least.

  Gemma nodded once, curtly, before gesturing for us to follow her. Jonas took his wife’s arm while Rieka’s sisters followed after their mother. Rieka did not join her family, instead sticking with our little group while we followed after her mother at a slight distance.

  “I can’t believe that stuck-up b—” Jane began to grumble, only to go silent when Kassandra held a muffling hand to her mouth.

  “She may be annoying but she is still a princess,” hissed my serpentine lover. “Trust me, Liam will put her straight quickly, and this little maneuver of hers has already cost her more political capital than she stands to gain.”

  Shayla was silent, walking at my side with her arms folded over her stomach. But from how her antennae were balling up like little fists, I knew she was anxious. So I reached around and gave her a low hug, pulling her hip into mine.

  The moth-winged woman turned to look up at me. Since she was so much taller than the other girls, she didn’t have to look far. Her completely black eyes studied me for several long moments before she leaned over to lay her head on my shoulder for just a moment, her antenna unfurling from their nervous little balls to bonk me affectionately on the side of my face.

  “It’ll be fine, Shayla,” I urged her. “There is no chance that she’s going to actually hurt me, and if she ends up close, I can just step out of the sparring ring.”

  “It’s not that,” murmured my affectionate moth, leaning upright once more so I released my grip on her hip. “I dislike that she is being rude and disrespecting you. Yes, it also disrespects the rest of us, but for all that we have helped you with it, you have earned your strength.”

  “I can’t expect people to always respect me, though,” I said gently and pushed away the Shape-Shifting that had twisted my features to that of a draconic lizard with horns.

  Shayla met my natural eyes and a small smile creased her face before she gave a firm nod of understanding.

  Other than the brief exchange, my girls were quiet while we followed after Gemma, who continued to express her displeasure at Margaret’s pushing. But her daughter ignored the chastising while we walked.

  The route to the training ground was simple, walking through the stable area and around behind the main bulk of the castle to an area that reminded me of the martial training grounds that were at Juneau. Large patches of sand or packed dirt for sparring with wood targets bound in rope and leather, archery bales, and the large stone blocks that I knew were targets for magic.

  Queen Gemma gestured us toward a singular large ring of sand surrounded by a twisted rope that was about as thick as my calf to mark the border.

  “This is a simple sparring match, so no spells are to be used. You are to duel to submission or first blood, and I will be quite irritated if you do not listen or actually injure each other. Liam, do you wish to borrow a weapon or…” Gemma trailed off, having turned around and spotted my changed form once more.

  “I’m fine,” I answered without hesitation and rolled my head on my neck before stepping into the ring. “I won’t use any of my spells, only my primary ability.”

  “Which is?” Margaret asked before she turned and also spotted my shifted face and beginning to blink rapidly. “What in the—”

  “Oh, sister,” Rieka said with mock amusement, interrupting her sister. “Did mother not tell you? Liam is a shape-shifter.”

  Taking that as my cue, I let my arms flow and extend, gaining additional joints as pitch-black armored chitin flowed over them. Blunted blades sprouted from the ends rather than the razor-sharp scythes or barbed spines that I normally formed. By the time my arms had doubled in length, Margaret’s color had drained entirely from her face and she was staring at me like I was some kind of monster.

  Which I suppose I am, I thought wryly. Humans here are the old-world bogeymen, after all.

  “Come now, sister,” Rieka pushed. “You were the one who insisted on this. Let us get this done so that we can return to a pleasant conversation like mother had obviously been hoping for.”

  Margaret took a moment to master herself before the iron returned to her spine like I was used to seeing in Rieka or her mother.

  Stepping over the border into the ring, Margaret drew her sword and assumed a two-handled guard pose with the arming sword.

  “You should be using a training weapon,” Jonas said, his normally jovial voice stern and making Margaret flinch and lose her composure for a moment.

  “Not needed,” I said without hesitation. “My shell will keep me safe and I will not harm her.”

  My reassurance seemed to satisfy Jonas, but irritated Margaret from how her upper lip curled back to reveal her teeth.

  Gemma clearly was getting tired of this whole thing, because the queen sharply clapped her hands together.

  “Spar with honor and get this over with quickly so we can relax inside. Begin!”

  Margaret was good. She deflected the first slash with my right blade-arm before slapping away the left one with a flourish as she charged forward. I could see a mixture of anger and defiance in her eyes as she closed, but the moment she made it past my blades, Margaret disregarded them. That simple mistake was the only one she needed to make.

  My shirt vanished and a second set of arms sprouted from my torso wielding the same blade-tail configuration. The bottom right one spun around, catching and deflecting her blade down into the dirt while the bottom left traced over her stomach in a maneuver that would have cut her open if it had been bladed properly. My regular arms reversed direction and came in from behind, the blunted tips tapping gently against her back over her kidneys.

  “And that is match,” Gemma said firmly from where she stood at the edge of the ring.

  “That was not fair!” Margaret sputtered, slapping at my weapon-arms to shove them away while pulling her sword out of the dirt.

  “Battle rarely is,” Valda said dryly, ignoring the glare that the other princess directed her way.

  “Again!” Margaret demanded, whirling to glare at me. “And no cheating this time!”

  “Margaret!” Gemma snapped, but I held up a hand to pause her.

  “It is fine,” I said and retracted my two extra arms. A moment of focus later and Shape-Shifting had changed me again. Black chitin covered my body in armor and my right arm had shifted once more. It was a regular arm save for the fact it turned into a three foot long ‘blade’ at the wrist—again blunted for safety.

  Margaret immediately squared up with me once more and then lunged forward, not waiting for Gemma to signal the beginning of the fight.

  Instincts from my many duels with Cerebaton kicked in and I tucked my left arm out of the way behind my back while my right arm slipped forward to deflect her swing. I didn’t need to finesse this, I just needed the singular opening that she gave me with that aggressive attack. My overblown strength slammed her sword aside, knocking the weapon to the dirt in a single swipe before the blade came back around and dug into her stomach in what would have been a mortal blow.

  Margaret gasped and folded over the attack, clearly bracing for it to hurt but gasping when it didn’t. I had metered my strength successfully, only using enough to disarm her before stunning her with a far lighter blow.

  “That is enough now,” Gemma insisted, glaring at her daughter. “I would prefer that we take time to actually talk rather than fight. If you wish to spar with Liam later, then you can do that then. I brought you together to actually bond with the Traveler so that he can protect and work with you, not so you can play games with him.”

  Margaret pushed away from me, but she wasn’t nearly as violent in the motion this time. Instead, she brushed at her shirt furiously before looking away in shame.

  Shrugging it off, I retrieved her sword and offered it back to her, handle first while I spoke.

  “I do not mind proving myself to people who can actually see it. And I would not expect someone in the position of you or your daughters to simply trust the word of another, Queen Gemma.”

  “That may be true,” Gemma countered with a sniff. “But I am the queen and I expect my daughters to actually listen to me first!”

  That reprimand finally got through Margaret’s defenses and she ducked her head in embarrassment, her ears pinning back as well as she sulked toward the castle.

  Seeing that her words were finally being taken to heart, Gemma calmed and gestured toward the building.

  “Come, let us retire and converse. I would like to hear how your trip went and discuss our plans for the future.”

  I have a ! Feel free to hop on and chat or ask questions.

  website for links to my other work as well as updates on this one. It has links to all the other places to find this work too!

  Amazon, I'll be editing and pulling down the files as time goes on, but I'll let folks know here ahead of time.

  Patreon! Additional advance chapters will be available there as well as art and some future projects I'm working on.